Fresh out of prison after taking the blame for his friends crime, Leo Handler (Mark Wahlberg) returns home to find those same friends involved in other moneymaking ventures. Unfortunately, the illegal nature makes these ventures even higher risk for Leo. But his best friend, Willie (Joaquin Phoenix), insists that Leo work with him, never considering that Leo might get caught. When a job goes bad, not only does Willie end up killing a man, but Leo has to fight off a cop hot on their trail. When the cop pegs Leo as his assailant, hes also blamed for the murder, setting into motion a series of events that reach, not only to the corrupt railroad company executives, but into the offices of local elected officials. THE YARDS moves at a slow pace but, as the complex characters develop and struggle through their various circumstances, the audience is rewarded with strong performances. Although a rather dark and gloomy story, THE YARDS should find its niche with the art house crowd.

Leo becomes a victim of his own naivet, which leaves him in a helpless situation with seemingly no way out. He faces the prospect of dealing with his fugitive status, and all he really wants is redemption for his crime. The only way to do this is through facing the law, so Leos character provides an intriguing example of a man searching for redemption but unwilling to face the responsibility. Throughout this crime film, violent acts abound, with several fight scenes and a few deaths. However, none of the violence is overly graphic. Other objectionable content includes brief female breast nudity before an implied sex scene, along with male rear nudity when a man is forced to undress. A bounty of obscenities, mostly f-words and eight regular profanities, weighs heavy in the dialogue. Gutter vocabulary and gratuitous sexual content leave discerning viewers locked out of THE YARDS.